Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Zao – Ancien Combattant (1984)

At a time when revved up soukous was the Congolese component of the burgeoning "world music" marketing phenomenon, and when two generations of rumba bands were battling for popular hegemony in the Congo, Casimir "Zao" Zoba released this album that opens with a musical call-to-arms parody. More folkloric than soukous, the anti-war title track "Ancien Combattant" nevertheless became a hit.

Zao's songs addressed social issues with humor, and the music reminds me slightly of Gabon's Akendengue, at least in the sense that it is not formulaic, relying on pop norms. Zao charts his own path, and I am happy to follow it. We'll meet again, down this path, for another installment.

My Zao favourites always were, and still are, the football song..........'le football ce n'est pas la guerre' and the mozzie song which describes the mosquito as very democratic because it bites everyone without discrimination !!!

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Musical Zoo

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